Package



July 2, 1963 Filed Deo. 1e, 1960 L.H.PFOHL F|G.3 I8

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FIG.4

July 2, 1963 H. PFoHL 3,095,966

PACKAGE Filed Dec. 16, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lB l'aB I3 United StatesPatent O 3,095,966 PACKAGE Louis Henry Pfohl, Forest Hills, NX.,assign-or to Design Center, Inc., Long Island City, NX., a corporationof New York Filed Dec. 16, 1960, Ser. No. 76,206 4 Claims. (Cl.Zilli-45.31)

The present invention relates to packaging, and more particularly to thepackaging of merchandise for display and sale Iand to a method forproducing such packages.

In packaging merchandise for display a-nd sale, it is desirable .in manyinstances to so construct the pack-age that the package and merchandisewill stand up-right on a counter or `other horizontal display surface.It is also desirable that such package be of the blister type, in which-a major portion of the package 4is formed from a transparent sheet ofplastic. Such blisters are ldesirably prepared by a thermoformingprocedure in which a web of a suitable transparent plastic, eg.,oriented styrene, is heated and then shaped by means of :dies into thedesired configuration. By thermoforming, blister packages which conform-generally in shape to the goods to be packaged therein can convenientlybe made. -A highly satisfactory thermoforming machine is shown in UnitedStates Patent 2,961,137 to Menkel, which issued November 22, 1960.Another suitable machine is shown in United States Patent 2,522,956 toMiddleton, which issued September 19, 1950.

The principal object of the invention ihas been the provision of `ablister package which has a structure adapted to permit the articles ofmerchandise packaged therein, whether they be bottles, tubes or othershaped objects, to stand upright on a counter.

Another object of the invention has been the provision of such a packagewhich can be produced and assembled economically.

Still another object of the invention .has been to provide =a plasticblister which cooperates with a simple paperboard structure to Iform a-nattractive upright display package.

A feature of the invention has been to provide a plastic blisterstructure having an open back and 'an open base and in ywhich the backand base are provided with peripheral flanges at right angles.

A further object of the invention has been to provide a method forproducing such blisters by a thermoforming process.

Other and further objects, features and `advantages of the inventionwill appear more fully from the following description taken inconnection with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is .a front elevational view of a completed package in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of FIG.l;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of FIG.1;

FG. 4 is a front elevational view of the plastic blister of the packageof FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is ,a front elevational View of a modified form of packagerconstruction in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the Aline 6-6 ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a blister blank at an intermediatestage of blister -formation; yand FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken alongthe line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. l-4, thepackage of the invention comprises a plastic blister designatedgenerally by the reference 3,095,366 Patented July 2, 1963 numeral 10and a paperboard stand designated generally by the reference numeral 11.

The plastic blister 10, which is preferably produced by a thermoiormingprocess from ,a web oi transparent plastic such as polarized extendedstyrene, comprises `a hollow body portion 12 having ian open back and anopen base. A horizontally extending ilange 13 is provided around theperiphery of the open 'base of body portion 12. -A vertcally extendingiiange 14 is provided around the periphery of the open back of .bodyportion 12. rBhe planes of the ila-nges 13 and 14 extend at right anglesto each other and the iianges join along the lines 15 Iand 16 at thejuncture of the periphery of the open base and the periphery of the openback. The body portion 12 land the flanges 13 yand 14 `are ian integralstructure produced from -a web of thermoplastic material. The top of thebody portion 12 is closed, as shown at 17.

The body portion 12 may be shaped to conform generally to the shape ofthe merchandise to 'be packaged, shown here as two bottles 18 and 19.For holding the bottles y11? and 19 in proper vertical position, arecess or lfdirnp-le 20 is provided in the front of the body portion 12.The recess 20 eiiectively divides the body portion into twocompartments.

The paperboard stand 11 may b-e formed from la single sheet ofpaperboard folded along la line 21 to provide a vertical back section 22and a vertical .front section 23. The portion of the paperboardcontaining the back section 22 is folded along a line 24 to provide .ahorizontal Ibottom section 25. The portion of the paperboard containingthe 'front section 23 is folded along a line 26 to provide a horizontalsection 27 which overlies the bottorn section 25. The section 27 isprovided with an aperture 2S corresponding in size and shape to the openbase of the blister body portion 12. The front section 23 is providedwith a similar aperture 29 corresponding in size Aand shape to the openback of the blister body portion 12.

The apertures 28 and 29 join along the line 26 to provide `a compositeaperture i-n the front paperboard sheet (23 and 27) which has aperiphery substantially the same size and shape as the compositeperiphery of the open back and open base of the blister body portion 12.The horizontal frange 13 lies between the paperboard sections 2S lamid27, While the ilange 14 lies between the paperboard sections 22 and 23.

After assembly, the paperboard sections 25 and 27 rnay be joinedtogether, as by the use of one or more staples or by the use of yasuitable adhesive, yielding a unitary structure in which the -f-ront andback paperboard sections 23 'and 22 retain the flange 14 and the bottompaperboard sections 25 and 27 retain the ange 13. It is desirable thatthe 'front and Iback paperboard sections be joined by staples oradhesive. Suitable staple locations =are indicated at 30, 31 and 32.

Suitable advertising matter rnay be printed on the iront race of thepaper-board section 23, as indicated at 33, and also on the uppersurface of the paper-board section 27. The paperboard used yfor thestand 11 need not be sufficiently rigid as to be able to stand uprightsince the blister 10 `aior-ds added rigidity to the assembled structure,thus maintaining the package in an upright position.

rThe package as described above is a preferred form of the invention`and the composite structure affords 'numerous advantages. However, theblister 10 may be used i-n Ia simpler package structure. Such astructure is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 Iand involves only the paperboardsections 22 and 25 and the blister 10. The flanges 13 and 14 are afxedto the sections 25 and 22, respectively, by suitable means such as anadhesive as shown -at 11 in FIG. 5. In .this simpler form ofconstruction, the

Yflanges 14.

rigidity afforded by the integral construction of the llanges 13 and 14affords considerable stability.

In the process of forming the blister of the invention, a web of plasticmaterial, eg., oriented styrene, is advanced step by step through athermoforming operation.

VIn this operation lthe web is seized adjacent each edge thereof, isadvanced to a heating station where the plastic material is heated to asoftened condition and is then advanced to a forming station. In theforming station the softened web is contacted by dies which produce twolblister blanks in axial alignment and with open bases facing each otherbut separated by a short length of web. Actually, a series of Vsuchpairs of axially aligned blister blanks may be formed simultaneouslyacross the web Width.

A pair of axially aligned Ablister blanks is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and8. It will be observed that the flanges 13 which extend around the openbases of the blanks are joined by a short section of web 13. After the4blanks have been formed they are die ycut along the planes 13A and 13Bto produce the individual blister as shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 5-6. Thisdie cutting along the planes 13A and 13B separates the two blisterblanks and eliminates the web section 13. Since the flanges 13 and 14are integral, the web section 13 also extends between the flanges 14 ofeach blank and is :cut out of the web as part of the operation ofcutting along the planes 13A and 13B. The pair of :blister blanks is cutout of the plastic web from which the blister blanks are formed by a diecutting operation around the periphery of the The cutting out of theblisters from the web is preferably performed before the cutting alongthe planes 13A and 13B, but may be performed at the same `time orsubsequently.

While the invention has `been described in connection with specicembodiments thereof and in specicuses, various modilcations thereof willo-ccur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A package, comprising a generally L-shaped flexible stand having ailat horizontal base section and a at upright back section, a .plasticblister having a hollow body with an open base and an open back, saidblister body having a first integral flange extending outwardly from theperiphery of said open base along at least .a major portion thereof andbeing disposed in a horizontal plane, said blister body having a secondintegr-al flange extending outwardly from the periphery of said openback along at least a major portion thereof and being disposed in avertical plane, said anges being integrally joined along the line ofintersection of said planes, and means to affix said first flange tosaid base section and said second ilange to said back sectionwherebyrsaid stand and said blister Vform a unitary package.

2. A package, comprising a generally L-shaped stand having a athorizontal base section and a flat upright 'back section, said standbeing formed from a single sheet of paperboard folded along the line ofjuncture of said Vflat sections, a plastic blister having a hollow bodywith lan open base and an open back, said blister body having a firstintegral ange extending outwardly from the periphery of said open basealong substantially the entire periphery thereof and being disposed in ahorizontal plane, said blister -body having a second integral flangeextending outwardly from the periphery of said open ,back alongsubstantially the entire periphery thereof and 3. A package, comprisinga generally L-shaped stand formed from a single relatively stiff sheetfolded .along a iirst line to provide a `bottom portion and a topportion, each of said portions being folded along an intermediate lineto provide an upright back section and a horizontal base section, saidsections of said top portion overlying directly the correspondingsections of said bottom portion, a plastic blister having a hollow bodywith an open base and an open back, said blister body having a firstintegral flange extending outwardly from the periphery of said open basealong at least a major portion of the periphery thereof and beingdisposed in a horizontal plane, said blister body having a secondintegral flange extending loutwardly from the periphery of said openback along at least a major portion of the periphery thereof and beingdisposed in a vertical plane, said lianges being integrally joined alongthe line of intersection of said planes, said upright back section ofsaid top portion of said sheet having an aperture substantiallyconforming in size and shape to the periphery of said open back and saidhorizontal base section having an aperture substantially conforming insizeand shape to the periphery of said open base, said aperturescommunicating with each other along said line of intersection of saidplanes, said body being inserted through said apertures so that said rstflange lies between said base sections of said sheet and said secondllange lies between said back sections of said sheet, and means toretain said portions in said overlying positions s o that said sectionsof said portions of said sheet contact said respective lianges andretain said body in said apertures.

4. A package, comprising a generally L-shaped stand formed from a singlesheet of paperboard folded substantially in half to provide a bottomportion and a top portion, each fof said portions being folded along anintermediate line to provide a liat upright back section and a flathorizontal base section, said sections of said top portion overlyingdirectly the corresponding sections of said bottom por-tion, a plasticblister having a hollow Vbody with an open base and an open back, saidblister body having a rst integral flange extending outwardly from theperiphery of said open base along substantially the entire peripherythereof and being disposed in a horizontal plane, said blister -bodyhaving -a second integral flange extending outwardly from the peripheryof said open back along substantially the entire periphery thereof andbeing disposed in a vertical plane, said flanges being integrally joinedalong the line of intersection of said planes, said flat upright backsection of said top portion of said sheet having an aperturesubstantially conforming in size and shape to the periphery of said openback and said at horizontal base section having an aperturesubstantially conforming in size and shape to the periphery of said openbase, said apertures communicating with each 4other along said line ofintersection ofsaid planes, said body being inserted through saidapertures so that said first iiange lies between said base sections ofsaid sheet and said second flange lie-s between said back sections ofsaid sheet, and means to retain said portions in said overlyingpositions so that said sections of said portions of said sheet contactsaid respective flanges and retain said body in said apertures.V

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,303,344 Erne Dec. 1, 1942 2,568,625 Harvey Sept. 18, 1951 2,884,127Neary Apr. 28, 1959 2,905,313 Bertram Sept. 22, 1959 2,905,314 BertramSept. 22, 1959 2,952,042 Garsson Sept. 13, 1960 2,973,558 Stratton Mar,7, 1961 3,002,236 Humphner Oct. 3, 1961 3,018,879 Crane Jan. 310, 1962

3. A PACKAGE, COMPRISING A GENERALLY L-SHAPED STAND FORMED FROM A SINGLERELATIVELY STIFF SHEET FOLDED ALONG A FIRST LINE TO PROVIDE A BOTTOMPORTION AND A TOP PORTION, EACH OF SAID PORTIONS BEING FOLDED ALONG ANINTERMEDIATE LINE TO PROVIDE AN UPRIGHT BACK SECTION AND A HORIZONTALBASE SECTION, SAID SECTIONS OF SAID TOP PORTION OVERLYING DIRECTLY THECORRESPONDING SECTIONS OF SAID BOTTOM PORTION, A PLASTIC BLISTER HAVINGA HOLLOW BODY WITH AN OPEN BASE AND AN OPEN BACK, SAID BLISTER BODYHAVING A FIRST INTERGAL FLANGE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OFSAID OPEN BASE ALONG AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY THEREOFAND BEING DISPOSED IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, SAID BLISTER BODY HAVING ASECOND INTEGRAL FLANGE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAIDOPEN BACK ALONG AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY THEREOF ANDBEING DISPOSED IN A VERTICAL PLANE, SAID FLANGES BEING INTEGRALLY JOINEDALONG THE LINE OF INTERSECTION OF SAID PLANES, SAID UPRIGHT BACK SECTIONOF SAID TOP PORTION OF SAID SHEET HAVING AN APERTURE SUBSTANTIALLYCOMFORMING IN SIZE AND SHAPE TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID OPEN BACK AND SAIDHORIZONTAL BASE SECTION HAVING AN APERTURE SUBSTANTIALLY CONFORMING INSIZE AND SHAPE TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID OPEN BASE, SAID APERTURESCOMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER ALONG SAID LINE OF INTERSECTION OF SAIDPLANES, SAID BODY BEING INSERTED THROUGH SAID APERTURES SO THAT SAIDFIRST FLANGE LIES BETWEEN SAID BASE SECTIONS OF SAID SHEET AND SAIDSECOND FLANGES LIES BETWEEN SAID BACK SECTIONS OF SAID SHEET, AND MEANSTO RETAIN SAID PORTIONS IN SAID OVERLYING POSITIONS SO THAT SAIDSECTIONS OF SAID PORTIONS OF SAID SHEET CONTACT SAID RESPECTIVE FLANGESAND RETAIN SAID BODY IN SAID APERTURES.